Mind games

Senior golf has been quite the ride for Sarah Gallagher. She collected the first two Georgia Senior Women’s titles for which she was eligible and the one Georgia Senior Women’s Match Play. But her success extended beyond the Peach State last fall when she captured the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, in her first year of eligibility, defeating USGA veteran Brenda Corrie Kuehn of Asheville, North Carolina, 1-up. Though it’s been nearly a year since her triumph, Gallagher still pinches herself.

“It’s been pretty surreal,” Gallagher said. “I don’t think it’s going to ever get old hearing that as a precursor to my name. Sometimes I still don’t believe it actually happened. It was obviously something I always wanted to achieve, and USGA championships are special. It’s been a great year. “Maybe with a little luck on my side, I’ll get to do it again.” Gallagher began her title defense on September 21 at Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle and easily made it into the match-play portion, shooting a 9-over 1...